Good Hearty Meals

Every meeting my leader mentions 'Mammy dinners'. When people join WW, we tend to forgo the 'Mammy dinners' in favour of seemingly healthier, low pointed foods. I was one of these people. I was also eating the same types of food day in day out. My meals were based around my 'treats'. I put treats in inverted commas because the word treat implies a single, one-off item. For me, treats meant three or four low point items consumed throughout the day. This could easily add up to 12/15 points alone. If you are one of these people, a little trick I learned was to write all treats in red pen on your tracker. This was you can clearly see how many points you are using on treats.

It has finally clicked that with me that weight loss is not a quick fix thing. It does not matter what plan you follow, you have to take it a week at a time. Some weeks you will be perfect and see a loss, others you may see a gain. In January I was panicking because I was running out of time to lose the weight before X, Y or Z. The truth is I want to lose the weight for me, for life. The reason I am saying all this is because this time around I have decided to listen to my new leader and focus on eating delicious, filling and healthy meals.

Since deciding to do this I am eating more red meat. Before I would have stuck religiously to plain chicken fillets. Beef is delicious and the juices add so much flavour to your meal. I had this gorgeous steak dinner for only 11 propoints. It consists of 150g lean sirlion steak fried in low fat butter (5 pps for beef, 1pp for butter),  100g potatoes, mashed with salt and drop of slimline milk (2 pps for potatoes, 1 pp for milk), roasted veg dripped in balsamic vinegar and sea salt (2 pps for parsnip). It was so filling and I did not feel bloated after it either. The gravy is made from the juices of the meat and a tbsp of Bistro granules which are zero propoints.

Slimbos with smoked salmon,
poached eggs and caeser mayo.

The new craze at the moment are Slimbos. They are thinner versions of ciabattas. They are great for open sandwich recipes. One is 3 pps and two are 5 pps. I have used them for Steak Sandwich, Smoked Salmon and Poached Egg Sandwich and Breakfast Butties. You can load up with side salads or roasted veg to make yourself a gorgeous meal.

The Hairy Dieters Recipe book has some fantastic recipes in it. Their recipes are low calorie versions of every day meals. I have made their Chicken and Ham Tangle Pie, Lamb Hoptpot, Italian Meatballs and many more. I will post some of the recipes along with the propoints over the next few weeks.

Chicken Stroganoff

My mum makes a gorgeous beef stroganoff which I love. However it is a very creamy dish. I have altered the recipe to make it more WW friendly. It is only 8 propoints and makes a great change from the typical spuds and meat dinners. I have posted the recipe in a separate post.

When new members join Weight Watchers, they believe they will be eating carrot sticks and lettuce for their meals. As I have shown, this does not have to be the case. You can have lovely home cooked meals if you so choose. It is about using your points wisely. If you eliminate the junk from your diet, you will have plenty of points for good hearty meals. You will probably find you will crave junk food less as you are more satisfied and less hungry.

The Impact of Soft Drinks on Weight Loss

Following on from my post last week about soft drink points, I decided to do more research on soft drinks. You always hear that they are bad for you, the question in what way are they bad? There is a lot of research and studies out there and most of them have the same results. There are some that come to different conclusions. The problem with a lot of the research is that it is hard to place soft drinks as the sole factor for the health issues mentioned. Do soft drinks cause weight gain? Probably but most people who consume copious amounts of soft drinks most likely do so while also eating a Big Mc meal. You can take from this post what you wish. 

From a personal perspective, I am a soft drink fiend. I think that by consuming a 7up instead of a bar of chocolate, I have opted for the healthier option. The fact is neither is healthy. They are both laden with sugar. Soft drinks are effectively empty calories. When you eat extra food, you will eventually feel full and stop. This does not tend to happen with soft drinks. As you are consuming liquid, you do not get the fullness feeling which may lead you to keep drinking and eating. It is this correlation that can lead to weight gain. My weight gain was not due to soft drinks but they certainly have not helped with my weight loss. It can be quite easy to forget the liquids we consume. If it passes your lips, it counts.

Soft drinks may give you that quick sugar rush but it can also cause some immediate discomforts. For me, bloating is a big problem when I drink soft drinks. When drinking fizzy drinks, you are effectively ingesting air. When you drink regular soft drinks, do you ever get that dirty feeling on your teeth? I do especially when I drink coke. 

Whether or not soft drinks cause weight gain, there is no denying they cause tooth decay. If you drink more than one soft drink a day then you should be taking preventions to protect your teeth.

On a more extreme level, soft drink consumption has been linked to heart disease and type 2 diabetes. You may have heard about an Australian woman, Natasha Harris, who died from a heart attack. She consumed approximately 10 litres of Coke a day. The coroner at her inquest concluded that this excessive consumption of Coke was a factor in her death. Coca-Cola has denied this and has said that there is not enough evidence to suggest this. Whether it was or was not a factor in her death, 10 litres of Coke a day is not healthy.

Studies (1) show that those who consume soft drinks were more likely to develop; 

-          High blood pressure

-          High insulin levels

-          Excess weight (especially around the stomach)

-          High cholesterol

Developing these health issues can increase the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

You may now be thinking, ‘how about I switch to diet versions?’ This may be a short term solution but there are a few things you should consider as well. Diet versions of carbonated drinks are still fizzy. If you are prone to bloating then they may not be the best option for you. Diet drink manufacturers still have to give them an appealing taste or else they will not sell. They add artificial sweetener. The most common sweetener is aspartame. There has been a lot of controversy surrounding aspartame in recent years. Leaving aside all the other possible issues with aspartame, in terms of weight loss, it is not the miracle cure to your soft drink addiction. Artificial sweetener can increase your appetite which can lead to you reaching for fridge door. You may decide to have a can of Diet Coke instead of the Dairy Milk bar. However you could find yourself craving that bar even more after you have the Diet Coke. Artificial sweetener is known to leave your taste buds craving sweet foods. Why? They are sweeter than sugar.

Aspartme is 180 times sweeter than sugar (1)

Acesulfame is 200 times sweeter than sugar

Saccharin is  300 times sweeter than sugar

Sucralose is 600 times sweeter than sugar

Neotame is 7,000/13,000 times sweeter than sugar

That may make you think twice about reaching for the diet versions. Diet soft drinks may help you in the short term, especially with weight loss. However there is no way to tell the long term effects it will have on our bodies. 

Today I am going cold turkey on fizzy drinks, both regular and diet. I am picturing that perfectly toned bikini stomach in July! You may not be able to, or even want to go cold turkey, but start by reducing the amount you consume. If you drink regular soft drinks, switch to the diet versions for a while. Start drinking more water. I know water can taste boring but your taste buds are so used to the sweet taste of the soft drinks. Give yourself a chance to retrain your palate. Do not keep soft drinks in the house. You are less likely to go to a shop and buy them. Do not reach for the chocolate as a replacement, think of the scales! I read somewhere that it takes 21 days to get rid of a bad habit. 21 days without soft drinks seems doable, right?

References:

1. http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/sugary-vs-diet-drinks/

Things You "Forget" to Track and Point

You plan meticulously and we measure every ounce that passes our lips. Or is that just what you think? Are you being completely honest with yourself? For some its the cooking oil or butter that you 'forget' to include or maybe it is a case that you do not measure it properly. These hidden items can start to add up.

I realised today that for me, it is fizzy drinks. I think because it is not food, I do not have to point it. However fizzy drinks are full of sugar and can be extremely high in propoints. If I am going to do this properly, I need to be honest with what I am consuming. I did not even know the points in a drink until I pointed them this evening. If there is something you think you avoid pointing, find out what the exact points are for the amount you consume. Do not cheat as you are only fooling yourself.

Propoints for Soft Drinks:
Can (330ml) Coke - 4 pps

Bottle (500ml) Coke - 6 pps
Share Bottle (1.5L) Coke - 17 pps
Large Bottle (2L) Coke - 23 pps

Can (330ml) 7up - 4 pps
Bottle (500ml) 7uo - 6 pps
Share Bottle (1.5L) 7up - 18 pps
Large Bottle (2L) 7up - 25 pps

Can (330ml) Club Orange - 5 pps
Bottle (500ml) Club Orange - 8 pps
Share Bottle (1.5L) Club Orange - 23 pps
Large Bottle (2L) Club Orange - 31 pps

Can (330ml) Club Rock Shandy - 5 pps
Bottle (500ml) Club Rock Shandy- 7 pps
Share Bottle (1.5L) Club Orange - 22 pps
Large Bottle (2L) Club Orange - 29 pps

Can (330ml) Club Lemon - 4 pps
Bottle (500ml) Club Lemon- 7 pps
Share Bottle (1.5L) Lemon - 20 pps
Large Bottle (2L) Lemon - 27 pps


Can (330ml) Fanta - 2 pps
Bottle (500ml) Fanta - 4 pps
Share Bottle (1.5L) Fanta - 11 pps
Large Bottle (2L) Fanta - 15 pps


Can (330ml) Sprite - 4 pps
Bottle (500ml) Sprite - 6 pps
Share Bottle (1.5L) Sprite- 17 pps
Large Bottle (2L) Sprite - 23 pps


Can (330ml) Pepsi - 4 pps
Bottle (500ml) Pepsi - 6 pps
Share Bottle (1.5L) Pepsi- 17 pps
Large Bottle (2L) Pepsi - 23 pps


Can (330ml) Lilt - 2 pps
Bottle (500ml) Lilt - 2 pps
Share Bottle (1.5L) Lilt- 7 pps
Large Bottle (2L) Lilt - 10 pps


Small Bottle (330ml) Lucozade Original - 6 pps
Bottle (500ml) Lucozade- 9 pps
Share Bottle (1.5L) Lucozade- 28 pps
Large Bottle (2L) Lucozade - 37 pps


Small Bottle (330ml) Lucozade Orange - 6 pps
Bottle (500ml) Lucozade- 9 pps
Share Bottle (1.5L) Lucozade- 28 pps
Large Bottle (2L) Lucozade - 37 pps


Can (330ml) Cidona - 2 pps
Bottle (500ml) Cidona - 3 pps
Share Bottle (1.5L) Cidona- 8 pps
Large Bottle (2L) Cidona - 11 pps

Large Bottle (2L) TK Red Lemonade - 4 pps
Large Bottle (2L) TK White Lemonade - 4 pps
Large Bottle (2L) TK Orange - 9 pps

Easter

It is that time of year again where crazy shoppers argue over who gets the last decent Easter egg. It can also be a parent's best worse nightmare, after Halloween and Christmas, where they get to eat their kids' left over eggs. Easter eggs are only the tip of the iceberg. If you have a traditional Irish mother then a lovely roast lamb dinner is on the menu for Sunday dinner. Dessert may consist of cakes and more chocolate. Lets not forget the copious amount of alcohol that will be consumed as well. See http://eabhabear.blogspot.ie/2013/03/alcohol-propoints.html for propoints for alcoholic drinks.

Now is the time to make the decision. Are you going be good or bad? If you want to take Sunday off, or the weekend, then there is nothing wrong with that. If you do decide to do this, then relax and enjoy the weekend. Do not feel guilty about the choices you make. Just make sure you get back on track first thing Monday morning. Most of us are off on Monday so use it wisely and go to for a run/walk or dust off the workout DVDs. No matter how much alcohol or food you consume, make sure you WEIGH IN next week. Your leader will only be expecting a few to see a loss on the scales next week and who knows you could be one of the lucky ones!

If you decide to be good, now is the time to start planning and preparing. Just because everyone else is drinking it does not mean you have to. A concept lost amongst us Irish! Decide now when you are going to drink and what you are going to drink. Put it into your tracker straight away.
Tomorrow is Good Friday. Even if you are not religious, it is a great excuse to incorporate fish into your diet (http://eabhabear.blogspot.ie/2013/03/happy-fish-day.html). It will set you in a healthy frame of mind for the weekend. If you have nothing planned for Saturday then stick to your daily allowance. Try to be as healthy as possible. Do not allow any Easter eggs or chocolates to be opened until Sunday.
Come Sunday, you should still have all or most your weeklies. If you think you are not likely to pick at Easter eggs or other foods, then allow yourself your own treat for whatever amount of points you have left. See below for a list of Easter treats.
If you are a picker then do not get your own treat as you will be more likely to go over points if you do. Make a note of EVERYTHING you put into your mouth that was not planned. Make an estimate at how many points every little bite is. Remember it is better to over-point than to under-point! Keep the list in your view during the day so that it easy to keep track and that when you reach your limit, you may just conjure enough willpower to stop. Even if you do not stop at your point allowance, at least you know exactly what you ate and you can look at cutting back during the week or increasing your exercise.

Whether you plan on being good or bad this weekend, everyone should try and limit the amount of food that enters your house. Do not buy treats for the possible guests you may have. You do not need desserts on top of eggs. Allow one or the other. Tell aunties, uncles, grandparents etc. not to buy your children Easter eggs. One egg is enough for anyone, young or old! Ask them to donate the money they would spend on the egg to a charity. If you are like me and your only source of an egg is from your mother (yes I am 23 but still a child at heart!), then tell her you do not want one. Or offer to halve one with someone. Remember the bars that come in the eggs are nothing special. You can go down to Centra and buy them anytime.
If you do end up with more than one egg in the house, give it away. Give it to a brother or boyfriend or husband. Bring it into work with you on Tuesday. Throw it in the bin. I used to buy junk food and then decide I am going to be good but only after I eat the junk food because I do not want to waste food or money. Your health and your weight loss journey are more important. Just before I sat down to write this blog, I poured a share bag of Malteasers into the outside bin. I got given them earlier as a gift on my sick bed. My usual garbage bin aka my brother was out, so I just got rid of temptation myself. Or, even better use the left over chocolate to make low point treats for yourself and the family.

Yes Easter, Christmas, Halloween only come around once a year. As does Paddys day, Mothers day, birthdays (your's, your partner's, your best friend's, your parents', your siblings', your children's), bank holidays, Christenings, weddings oh and of course Saturday nights! That is why it is important you take control. Decide which events you will be WW concious and which events you will allow yourself to relax. Easter is one day, so if you are good for the remaining six, there is no reason you cannot see a loss at your next WI.

So to help with your planning and to hopefully shock us into staying away from the goodies over the weekend, I have pointed all the Easter treats I could find information for. The nutritional information for a lot of Easter products is not easy to find. So I have sourced my information from various sites on Google. I cannot guarantee they are 100% correct but they will give you a good guideline. Do not forget to add extra propoints for the bars. The points below are for the eggs only. Most standard bars average 6-7 propoints while the mini bars average 2-3 propoints. Sweets such as Celebrations average 2 propoints per sweet. WARNING: do not forget to check for extra points when having more than one bar. You could find that one bar is only 5 but two 11. If you are lucky you could find you save a point!

Aero Mint Lamb 4pps per 27g
Cadbury Buttons Medium Egg 24pps per 162g
Cadbury Caramel Egg 5pps per 38g
Cadbury Caramel Bunny 6pps per 40g
Cadbury Creme Egg 5pps per 39g
Cadbury Crunchie Medium Egg 24pps per 167g
Cadbury Dairy Milk Large Egg 50pps per 343g
Cadbury Flake Medium Egg 22pps per 153g
Kinder Surprise Egg 3pps per 20g
Kit Kat Chunky Egg 34pps per 235g
Lindt Chocolate Mini Eggs 1pp per 5g (for 1)
Malteaster Bunny 4pps for 1, 9pp for 2
Milkybar Mini Eggs 7pps per 50g (half bag)
Cadburys Mini Eggs 0pp for 1, 1pp for 2
Cadburys Roses Large Egg 45pps per 307g
Smarties Small Egg 20pps per 138g
Smarties Mini Eggs 13pps per 100g
Cadburys Twirl Large Egg 47pps per 325g
Galaxy Medium Egg 24pps per 167g
Mars Medium Egg 29pps per 198g

Happy Fish Day

Good Friday is traditionally a fast day observed by Christians to commemorate the death of Jesus. Modern day Christians observe the day by abstaining from red meat. Even if you are not religious, Good Friday can be a great excuse to incorporate fish into your meals. Fish has so many health benefits. It is great for lowering your cholesterol and it is a good source of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty oils along with other minerals and vitamins.
Omega-3 fatty oils help lower the risk from heart disease, reduce stiffness and joint pain and reduce inflammation which is particularly helpful to asthmatics. Since I started taking fish oil tablets I have noticed an improvement in my concentration and my energy levels. While fish oil supplements are an option, why not go one better and have the fish itself. Fish is extremely tasty and there are so many different varieties that you will never get bored.

So which fish are the best for you? Some fish can be high in propoints due to the fat content. One thing to remember is this is healthy fat. Fish is so nutritious that you should not avoid it for the sake of a few extra points.

Tuna - high in protein, folic acid and omega-3 acids. Tuna in brine 1pp per 56g. Tuna steak 5pps per 140g.
Salmon - good for the heart and rich in omega-3 acids. Smoked salmon 2pps per 60g. Salmon fillet 6pps per 130g.
Oysters - rich in protein and omega-3 acids. With shells 1pp per 504g.
Sardines - low mercury levels. 4pps per 100g.
Trout - good for the heart and rich in omega-3 acids. Fillet 4pps per 115g. Rainbow trout 7pps per 230g.
Crab - low calories, good source of omega-3 acids and vitamins A, B and C. 2pps per 100g.
Crayfish - low calories, low in fat, high in protein (contains all nine essential amino acids), high in omega-3 and omega-6. 1pp per 85g.
Shrimp - rich in iodine, low in fat and low calories. 1pp per 60g.
Cod - good source of protein, vitamin B and low in calories. Smoked cod 2pps per 120g. Fillet 2pps per 90g.
Sea Bass - low in calories, high in omega-3 and omega-6 acids. Fillet 3pps per 101g.
Mackrel - good source of omega-3 and omega-6 acids, vitamin D and protein. Fillet 9pps per 150g.
Haddock - is a great started fish as it has a mild fish taste. Good source of protein, vitamin B, low in fat, low in calories. Fillet 2pps per 120g. Smoked Haddock 2pps per 120g. 
Plaice - low calorie, low fat, and high in protein. Fillet 3pps per 130g.
Sole - high in omega-3 acids, low in fat, high in vitamin B. Fillet 3pps per 163g.

*All propoints are for raw portions.

There are so many gorgeous fish recipes out there. If you are looking for ideas, have a look at this website http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/diets/healthy It has lots of healthy, delicious recipes. Remember you can tweak recipes to your liking and substitute ingredients for lower point alternatives.

Hangover Foods

Whether it is a long weekend or just an average Saturday night, alcohol and hangovers can be a Weight Watcher's worst nightmare. I have posted a blog with all the alcohol propoints so I decided to go one step further and point typical hangover foods. Most people reach for the greasy fry-up or Dominos pizza. With good planning, your hangover meal does not have to blow your points budget.

My favourite meal is Chicken Carbonara. I have loads of great homemade recipes but when I am hungover I just use the Dolmios Express Carbonara sauce which is 5pps per individual sachet.
I sautee an onion in a knob of flora light (1pp) and then add 100g lean chicken breast (3pps). Pour the sauce into the pan when the chicken is cooked and heat until piping hot. Boil 40g wholewheat pasta. To serve, sprinkle 30g of Superquinn Mozarella (2pps) on top to make a delicious dish for 14pps. This may seem like a lot but at the weekends I tend to only eat two meals because I get up later. If you have extra points to spare, I find adding lean rashers add to the flavour and increases your protein intake, all for an extra 2pps.

Dominos is the hangover food of choice for many of my friends. If they opened earlier on Sundays, I'm sure they would do great business! I have actually never been the biggest fan of Dominos and since seeing the points for them, I won't be any time soon. A personal pizza averages 15/16pps while a slice of a large pizza averages 5pps. If you would rather a store bought pizza, Ristorante Hawaii pizza is only 10pps for half a pizza or 21pps for the whole lot. You can bulk it up with lots of zero point salad or even roasted veg.

When people hear the word 'fry' they automatically think high cholesterol and greasy frying pans. You can have a healthy fry for half the points by simply substituting for lower pointed products and cooking differently. Grilling is the healthiest option but you should not shy away from frying in healthy oils. Extra virgin olive oil or coconut oils  I can be high in proportion to the amount used but they are healthy fats and can add taste to your cooking.

Here is a list of typical 'fry' foods with their propoints. Do not forget you have your 49 weeklies so do not be  afraid to dip into them.

Brennans Wholewheat Bread x2 4pps
Flora Light 10g 1pp
Ballyfree Turkey Sausages x2 4pps (grilled) or Superquinn Reduced Fat Sausages x2 5pps
Lean Bacon Medallions x2 3pps (grilled)
Grilled Tomato and Mushrooms 0pp
Scrambled Eggs (1 medium egg and 1 egg white) cooked in Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2pps for egg, 3pps for oil
Smoked Salmon 50g 2pps

As you can see, having a hangover meal does not mean you have to eliminate your entire weeklies. Planning is essential. If you know you are going out and you are prone to hangover cravings, then plan and point in advance. By doing this, you are more likely to stick to a healthier option.

P.S Do not forget...water, water and more water!

Alcohol ProPoints

I never used to point alcohol. One reason was because it would mean cutting back on food while another reason was I could never remember what I drank the next morning! I am now making a more conscious effort to plan in advance what I will drink. With the long weekend coming up, alcohol will probably be consumed at some stage in the form of after work drinks on Thursday, house party Friday, night club Saturday or wine at dinner on Sunday. Planning is essential which is why I have done up a list of popular drinks.

Bacardi Breezer:
Lemon 2pps for 100ml, 5pps for 275ml
Mango 2pps for 100ml, 3pps for 275ml
Orange 1pp for 100ml, 3pps for 275ml
Pineapple 1pp for 100ml, 3pps for 275ml

Baileys Cream 3pps fpr 35ml, 5 for 50ml
Bulmers Light 3pps for 330ml, 5pps for 500ml
Captain Morgans 6pps for 250ml

Coors Light:
3pps for half pint, 6pps for pint
4pps for 330ml, 6pps for 500ml

Corona Light 3pps for 355ml
Gin and Tonic 4pps for 250ml
Guinness (draught) 3pps for half pint, 7pps for pint
Heineken 5pps for 330ml, 7pps for 500ml
Jack and Coke 4pps for 200ml
Malibu 2pps for 35ml
Rum (40%) 3pps for 35ml
Smirnoff Ice 5pps for 275ml, 13pps for 700ml
Smithwicks 3pps for half pint, 7pps for pint
Vodka 3pps for 35ml
West Coast Cooler Original 5pps for 250ml
West Coast Cooler Rose 5pps for 250ml
WKD Blue 2pps for 100ml, 6pps for 275ml

Wine:
Red, Rose, White (sparkling or dry) 3pps for 125ml
Red, Rose, White (sparkling or dry) 4pps for 175ml
Red, Rose, White (sparkling or dry) 6pps for 250ml
Red, Rose (sparkling or dry) 19pps for 750ml
White (sparkling or dry) 18pps for 750ml

Cocktails:
Bloody Mary 4pps for 250ml
Sex on the Beach 8pps for 200ml
Strawberry Daiquiri 4pps for 190ml
Pina Colada 6pps for 150ml
Cosmo 6pps for 150ml
French Martini 6pps
Margarita 6pps for 250ml
Screwdriver 5pps for 150ml
Long Island Ice Tea 7pps for 180ml
White Russian 7pps for 200ml
Frozen Mudslide 11pps for 360ml
Mai Tai 10pps for 320ml
Manhattan 8pps for 130ml
Mojito 6pps for 250ml